Czech Cycling Federation Established

The Czech Republic was among  a few European nations lacking a nationwide, non-profit cycling association, which represents bicycle users across the country. Representatives of the leading cycling NGO’s led by Nadace Partnerství decided to join forces and create a new Czech cycling federation in August 2015.

“Based on our experience with the ECF and its member organizations, we would like to transform the situation and create a nationwide cycling federation, which represents the members of funded NGOs,” says Daniel Mourek from Brno based Nadace Partnerství.

The signing event in Brno was part of the Leadership program, supported by ECF, in order to bring the current cycling associate groups from major Czech and Moravian cities together. Prior to the registering of a common memorandum, Alec Hager of Austria’s partner organization, RadLobby Österreich, was the keynote speaker at the seminar. The Austrian, Polish, and Ukrainian NGO’s were used as best practice examples for developing the Czech cycling federation.

The memorandum was signed by representatives of Prague based Auto*Mat, Brno based ‘Brno na kole’, Hradec Králové based Hradecká stezka, and others focusing on urban cycling additionally by Nadace Partnerství, Klub českých turistů, and ČeMBA which are dealing mainly with cycle tourism and MTB.

Main Goals

The main objectives of the Czech Cycling Federation are going to be lobbying in favor of bicycle users, and cycle tourists on a nationwide level, through networking, together with delivery of popular campaigns such as ‘By bike to work’, ‘Safe routes to schools’, ‘Shopping by bike’, the use of cargo bikes, and the promotion of bike events.

The rotation and exchange of strategies will be carried out by coordinating biannual conferences and workshops, in partnership with the cycling industry based on the Austrian cycle competence center, or the model of the ECF’s Cycling Industry Club.